Castle Varjú
Over the centuries, the Rooks have held many outposts, castles, and bureaus, each varying in thei r strengths and weaknesses. None have compared in size, grandeur, and efficiency to Castle Varju. Situated 20 miles from the Mediterranean Sea, in a cavernous overhang, it overlooks surrounding farmlands, towns, and mines in a region called Postojna. History Pre-Rooks The castle was first mentioned in 1274 with the German name Luegg, when the Patriarch of Aquileia built the castle in Gothic style. The castle was built under a natural rocky arch high in the stone wall to make access to it difficult. It was later acquired and expanded by the Luegg noble family, also known as the Knights of Adelsberg (the German name of Postojna).The castle became known as the seat of the knight Erasmus of Lueg (or Luegg, Luegger), lord of the castle in the 15th century and aenowned robber baron. He was the son of the imperial governor of Trieste, Nikolaj Lueger.According to legend, Erasmus came into conflict with the Habsburgs when he killed the commander of the imperial army, Marshal Pappenheim, who had offen ded the honour of Erasmus's deceased friend, Andrej Baumkircher of Vipava. Fleeing the vengeance of the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III, Erasmus reached the family fortress of Predjama. From there, he allied himself with King Matthias Corvinus and began to attack Habsburg estates and towns in Carniola. Siege of Predjama The emperor commissioned the governor of Trieste, Andrej Ravbar, with the capture or killing of Erasmus. Ravbar knew of the Rooks from a previous interaction where they had helped him kill the leader of a large, organized bandit syndicate in the vicinity of Trieste. Knowing they could help, he sent a letter requesting their presence. A high ranking member of the Rooks a the time, whose name is unknown, was said to have appeared to him in his room, having bypassed his guards. Ravbar was given specific instructions for the siege. At 1:00 AM, Ravbar began bombarding the castle with trebuchets, loaded with boulders roughly the size of four human heads. These dented the castle, and crumbled it in some places, but did not bring it down.This continued until dawn, when Ravbar ceased the bombardment and began volley after volley of arrows at the now active defenders. At noon, the trebuchets were ready again, and resumed their fire. This time, the projectiles were larger, and some toppled parts of the walls. The archers again took shift just before suns et and fired for an hour. All forces now ceased with the sun, except the Rooks. After twilight ended and the only light was the quarter moon, the Rooks began to rappel from their waiting position atop the cliff in which the castle was nestled. In sync, they dropped onto the guards of the tallest part of the fort- the eastern tower. They took them out silently, ensuring that the movement of the torches did not become too erratic and draw attention. They moved from tower to tower, taking down every guard in their way, until eventually, it was defenseless. They then bound those of the defendants who were sleeping and drug them to the outside. Last, was Erasmus. He robbed from the people of his village and the merchants which passed through it. He abused his power, and he would pay for it. Aftermath As a reward for the capture of Castle Predjama and the assassination of Erasmus the Robber Baron, Ravbar granted the Rooks the deed to the castle. They began to repair the damage done during the siege, and soon after renamed it "Castle Varjú." They supported the villagers in the nearby area and repressed the band its that had arisen. Over the following centuries,Castle Varjú would be contested many times; the Rooks never lost what they had fought for so long ago. Surrounding Towns and Villages Predjama Predjamais a small farming community that is known for its metalworking and farming. They have a butcher which has been in trouble with the law several times for buying illegally caught game. They're still somewhat impoverished due to the rule of Erasmus, but have been rebuilding. Trieste Trieste is a port town overlooking the northeast Mediterranean. It is home to the Ouroboro s Inn and the Trieste Bakery. Naturally, being a port, it has a harbormaster as well.